{"id":37969,"date":"2022-12-09T15:02:16","date_gmt":"2022-12-09T20:02:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=37969"},"modified":"2022-12-09T15:02:16","modified_gmt":"2022-12-09T20:02:16","slug":"electreks-vehicle-of-the-year-is-the-svelte-25k-chevy-bolt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=37969","title":{"rendered":"Electrek’s vehicle of the year is the svelte $25K Chevy Bolt"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The lowest-priced EV in the US is somehow also one of the best. Now in its sixth year, the Bolt EV is also seasoned, having worked through a battery fiasco\/recall and significant lapses by GM\u2019s decision-makers while receiving modest but significant updates. <\/p>\n

With a clean bill of health, the Bolt is now a huge outlier in bang-for-buck. But the 2023 Bolt is also quick, fun to drive, useful, and often more so than cars twice its price. In fact, I think we should be looking to the diminutive Bolt as the future of transportation. <\/p>\n

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2022 EV landscape<\/h2>\n

2022 was an interesting year for EVs. The leader in the space, Tesla, still commands over 60% of the market share in the US and many developed countries. But as traditional automakers ramp up their EV output, that dominance will recede. The Austin-based company hasn\u2019t really done too much in the way of upgrading its cars this year, however. Instead it focused on production, opening new plants in Austin and Berlin and ramping up its Shanghai plant while achieving record breaking quarters, one after another. <\/p>\n

There were a ton of new vehicles we loved, however, including E-GMP platform vehicles from the greater Hyundai including the quick charging and beautifully equipped IONIQ 5, Kia EV6 and the Genesis GV60. The IONIQ 6 is coming along as are future vehicles (Ev9, etc) on this platform. If this award was for platforms, the E-GMP would probably take it. <\/p>\n

There\u2019s also the hot-selling Ford Mustang Mach-E and F-150, the beautiful Cadillac Lyriq, VW\u2019s improved ID.4 that is now made in Chattanooga with Plug and Charge and V2G coming. But there\u2019s one thing that sticks out about all of these EV CUVs: The sticker price starts at around $50,000.<\/p>\n

On the more mundane side, Hyundai\/Kia offer the Kona\/Niro for around $40,000 and the aging 40kW CHAdeMO-equipped Nissan LEAF comes in at $29,000, but to get over 200 miles of range, you have to add close to $10,000. <\/p>\n

The chip shortage, supply chain issues and just overall supply and demand issues for EVs let almost every EV maker jack up their prices in 2022. Some as much as $20,000 or more.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the mighty Chevy Bolt EV which actually saw a $6000 decrease in price<\/a> this year to an outlier price starting at $25,600. That price is changing the game and allowing more people get a full, non-compliance EV. The longer EUV is only $1600 more and offers some of the best Autonomy options on the road<\/a>. But low price is only part of the equation. (We\u2019re not the only ones seeing this<\/a>) <\/p>\n

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